


You are so much more

by smittenwithsugden



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Car Accidents, Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-17 02:19:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11265906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smittenwithsugden/pseuds/smittenwithsugden
Summary: Robert and Rebecca have found a way to care for their child when an accident rips their world apart.





	You are so much more

**Author's Note:**

> A possible future storyline I would like to see. I tried to give Rebecca a bit more depth and a lot more agency in this. I hope you like it considering where I decided to go with it.

„Would it kill you to not look at your phone for five minutes? “ Rebecca asked with an eyebrow raise.

“Why? You wanna have a deep and meaningful conversation?” Robert asked with an annoyed sigh.

“No,” Rebecca said, “but you could have an eye on Ellie.”

Robert looked in the rear view mirror to see their daughter in the back seat. She was almost six months old, happily sucking at the ear of her favorite teddy bear, a gift by Chas of all people; go figure.

“She’s fine,” he said.

Rebecca was driving back home now from the doctor’s. Ellie had been due her check up and they had this agreement to do doctor’s appointments together. It had been quite a battle to figure out how they could make it work when Robert had decided he wanted to be a part of his baby’s life. But to the surprise of pretty much everyone involved they had managed to come up with an arrangement they were all fine with; joint doctor’s appointment was one of them.

“What’s so important anyway?” Rebecca asked and tried to glance at his phone.

“Keep your eyes on the road,” Robert said and shielded his phone from her view. “It’s Aaron.”

_Aaron: You almost home? Liv’s out, we have the house to ourselves._

“Go figure,” Rebecca said. “He checking up on you?”

“No,” Robert snapped. “He trusts me.”

“Miracle,” Rebecca said with an eye roll.

“Yeah, it is,” Robert said, voice going soft.

_Robert: Almost. 15 more minutes. Don’t start without me._

“Sap,” Rebecca said.

“You’re just jealous,” Robert said. “When was the last time you went out on a date?”

“Excuse me, I have a 6 months old at home. It doesn’t exactly scream ‘dateable contender’.”

“Poor you,” Robert said with a grin.

“Heartfelt,” Rebecca snapped back, but it was without any venom.

This was their dynamic now. They weren’t friends, not really, they got along for their daughter, and they were quick to poke at one another whenever they could, but it was never vile.

“I bet Ross would be up for another quickie, you know, if you wanna scratch that itch,” Robert mocked.

Rebecca hit his arm hard.

“Don’t talk like that in front of our daughter,” Rebecca snapped.

“Geez, relax, Bex,” Robert said and turned around in his seat to look at his daughter. “Hey, Ellie, you know what? Your mum likes to have sex, a lot. And that is totally okay. Don’t ever think liking sex is a bad thing.”

“Look who’s talking,” Rebecca said and shook her head. “Was that your parenting of the day?”

“Yep,” Robert said and turned back around. “I think that was a very important lesson.”

Ellie was giggling from behind and Robert’s heart melted, like every time he heard his daughter laugh.

“See,” he said, “she agrees.”

“You two are gonna be thick as thieves as soon as she starts talking, right? God help me,” Rebecca said.

“You should be more worried about the Dingle clan teaching her their ways,” Robert said.

“I’m not gonna argue that,” Rebecca said.

She turned on a country road, one less frequented because it was pretty narrow, but it would give them about ten minutes less travel time if they were lucky enough to have no car coming the opposite way.

Rebecca looked in the rear view mirror for a moment, looking at her daughter.

“She’s pretty lucky, isn’t she? So many people fussing over her, wanting to protect her,” she said.

“Yeah, she is,” Robert said simply. He was more grateful for this than Rebecca could ever know.

Given his own history of always wanting to please his dad, of never really having the support of his mum, this was everything he wanted for his daughter.

“Didn’t do much right, you and me,” Rebecca said. “But she is a piece of art.”

“I’m not gonna argue that,” Robert said with a small smirk.

He looked at her and she looked back, both smiling, everything else forgotten for a second, just two proud parents.

Robert looked back out the front first and saw the deer. “WATCH OUT!” he screamed and Rebecca reacted, turned the wheel, drove off the road, tried to hit the brakes but failed and they crashed against a tree. The car was thrown out of its way and all of a sudden it felt like they were in the air but the car stopped.

 

 

Robert could hear Rebecca whimpering and when he moved to look the car screeched and moved forward. He stopped immediately and then he saw: The front of the car was up in the air, over a cliff, he figured they were propped up on a big stone that would sooner or later give in and tumble.

“Robert,” Rebecca whimpered, but before she continued Ellie started to cry.

“It’s okay, Ellie, mum is here,” Rebecca said, but Robert heard that she must have been in incredible pain.

He allowed himself to turn his head now and he saw Rebecca stuck under the steering wheel and for a second he couldn’t breathe, for a second he was under water again, for a second he saw Aaron’s face instead of Rebecca’s. But then his brain kicked in again.

“Rebecca,” he said as calmly as he could. “Can you move your legs?”

Rebecca tried and the only thing that happened was that the car moved again and she stopped immediately.

“No,” she said and a quiet sob escaped her lips.

“Okay, okay… I will get you out… I just need to…” Robert said and moved his hand slowly to his seatbelt. He managed to click it and when it snapped open the car moved again.

“Robert,” Rebecca said, her voice suddenly much firmer than before. “Get Ellie out.”

“We’ll get her out together,” Robert said and reached over to try and move the wheel. The moment he pushed, the car moved and a big stone was rolling away from underneath, falling down the cliff.

“Robert,” Rebecca said, looking at him. “I’m stuck. I won’t get out of here. Go and get our daughter out or I swear to God I will kill you.”

Robert looked to the back, saw his beautiful, beautiful daughter looking at him with tears streaming down her cheeks and still sobbing.

He tried to reach back to grab her but the car moved again, too heavily this time.

“You have to get out,” Rebecca said. “Get out and get her out.”

Robert looked at her, not able to say anything, he couldn’t believe that this was supposed to be it, was Rebecca really just sacrificing herself? But he knew immediately he would do the same for Ellie.

“Don’t let Chrissie raise her,” Rebecca said.

“What?” Robert asked confused.

“Don’t let Chrissie raise her,” Rebecca said again. “Look at Lachlan, we don’t want that for her, do we? I love her. She’s a great sister, but she’s not a great mum. Make sure she stays with you and Aaron.”

“Okay,” Robert just said.

“You’re a great dad,” she said quickly, rushing to get the words out. “I know I’ve not always made it easy for you, but you have to know that you are an awesome dad. You and Aaron both. He is so great with her and she loves him.”

“Rebecca, I…” Robert started.

“Get moving,” she cut him off. “Save our girl.”

Robert opened the door very carefully. When he moved the car moved as well. He waited, his feet dangling out of the car while it moved. He had to do a little jump to land on solid ground. He whirled around to see that the car was still there.

He opened the door to the backseat as carefully as he could. He reached for Ellie, making soothing noises as he slowly undid her seatbelt.

“Robert,” Rebecca’s voice came from the front, she sounded smaller now, like she was making peace. “I have loved you, you know? I loved you too much and in all the wrong ways, I know that now. And I am sorry, for not being a better friend.”

Robert looked at her, her head turned to look at him and Ellie, who he had now picked up out of the car seat. The car moved again.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be who you wanted me to be,” Robert said.

“You are so much more,” Rebecca said and she looked at Ellie. “I love you, Ellie.”

Robert moved, stepped away from the car and before he could get his phone to his ear the car moved and moved and moved. He shielded Ellie against his chest and turned away. But he heard. He heard the screeching and then for a horrendous long moment he heard nothing and then he heard the crash, metal against stone and he knew with a crushing certainty that it was over.

 

 

Robert called the ambulance, was surprised by how steady his voice was when he told them what happened and where they were. When he hung up he couldn’t move. He was just sitting on the ground, Ellie close to his chest, his phone in his lap, waiting for the siren.

When it vibrated Robert was shook and he looked down.

_Aaron: Where are you? Have to go to the Pub, mum needs something. Meet me there?_

Robert breathed hard. He felt the sob coming, but he swallowed it down. He couldn’t be weak, not yet, Rebecca was dead – dead, dead, dead – and he had to be strong for Ellie now. He was not allowed to cry about his husband still being blissfully oblivious.

He picked the phone up and called him. It went to voicemail and he swallowed. He dialed again, this time the pub.

“The more than fabulous woolpack, how may I help you?” Charity’s cheerful voice cut through the line.

“Charity, it’s Robert, is Aaron there?” he asked.

“Is this any way to talk to your almost favorite ex-flat mate?” Charity joked.

“Charity, not now,” he said and something in his voice must have given him away, because the next thing he heard was Aaron’s voice.

Robert told him in as less words as possible what happened, that they had a car crash, where they were and that they were waiting for an ambulance.

“I’m on my way,” was all Aaron said and hung up.

He gave the news to Charity and rushed off.

 

 

In the meantime the ambulance had arrived, a couple of extra trained men had gone and looked for the crashed car and – ultimately – for Rebecca. The others were looking over Robert and Ellie, but quickly found that, other than shock, there was nothing wrong with them.

Robert was numb. He couldn’t feel anything except his baby girl pressed to his chest. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do now. How was he supposed to go on now? He tried to hold on to something, anything, any thought, but there was just nothing.

And then out of nowhere Aaron was there, wrapping his arms around him and Ellie, holding him and Robert felt like he came back to earth. He felt life rushing back into him and he let out a sob.

“Are you okay? What happened? Where is Rebecca? What happened?” he bombarded him.

Robert looked small and weak and he just clung to Aaron. Aaron gently took Ellie from him and sat down next to him. One arm held Ellie and the other wrapped around Robert’s shoulder who was leaning against Aaron.

“What happened?” Aaron asked again, softer now.

“She told me to get out,” Robert said quietly. “She told me to get Ellie. She was stuck under the wheel and I did what she said. I got Ellie out, but I couldn’t get to her, the car crashed down the cliff and she’s….she’s dead, Aaron.”

Aaron swallowed. He wished he would be able to feel something other than the overpowering will to protect Robert and Ellie.

“I’m so sorry, Robert,” he said.

“She said we should raise her,” Robert said, “Us, not Chrissie.”

“What?” Aaron asked, just as surprised as Robert had been.

“She said we are great parents, you and me, and that Ellie loves you and that Chrissie is a great sister, but not a great mum,” Robert repeated what Rebecca had said to him with a heavy voice.

“Well,” Aaron said, getting emotional and holding Ellie closer, “then that is exactly what we’re gonna do.”

“Where is she?” they heard somebody scream. When they looked up they saw Chrissie.

“Charity told me,” she bellowed as she marched towards Robert and Aaron. One of the paramedics stepped in the way and they could see him talking to her, obviously breaking the news.

“NO!” she screamed and ran towards Robert. He jumped up, positioning himself between Chrissie and Aaron and Ellie.

The numbness was gone now. His family was behind him and he was protecting them. He knew what he had to do, now and for the rest of his life.

“You,” Chrissie said, voice full of venom, “you killed her! You left her in that car! You killed her!”

“I didn’t,” Robert said. “I swear I didn’t. I saved Ellie and then there was no time, I would have saved her, too, I swear!”

“You’re a liar!” Chrissie screamed. “You can’t be around her! Give me the baby!”

“No way in hell!” Robert bellowed.

Aaron had gotten up, stood behind Robert, Ellie pressed tight to his chest.

“She will stay with me, Rebecca would want her to stay with me!” Chrissie said, eyes fixing on Robert.

“No, she wouldn’t,” Robert said. “She told me, she wanted her to stay with me and Aaron.”

“Lies, lies, lies!” Chrissie said. She hadn’t shed one tear until now, but Robert could see it glistening in her eyes and for a second he felt sorry for her. But then he thought about his daughter and about what Rebecca wanted.

“I am her father!” Robert barked. “She will stay with me!”

Aaron had walked up now, laid his free hand carefully on his back.

“Let’s go home, Robert,” he said.

He handed Ellie back to Robert who held her very close as they passed Chrissie.

“This will not be the end of it,” Chrissie called after them. “You will hear from me! I will fight!”


End file.
